Electrophotographic copying machines have long been well known, and are now available in many sizes and types and are provided with a variety of features which are intended to improve the efficiency and use of operation of these machines. One such feature, with which the present invention is concerned, is the manner in which copy paper is stored in the machine and is fed from a storage location to the operating components of the copying machine which utilize the copy paper. When copying machines first came on the market, they were generally of the type which used precut sheets of copy paper which was stored in a stack and fed sheet by sheet to the instrumentalities of the copying machine which utilized the paper. This proved to be a relatively satisfactory way of handling copy paper, except that this mode of operation inherently possessed two distinct disadvantages, one being the necessity for a somewhat complex feeding and separating mechanism, the other being the inability to provide copy paper in more than one length in the absence of duplicate storage and feeding facilities for different sizes of precut copy paper.
It became apparent that, by utilizing a roll of copy paper with an intermittent feeding mechanism and a cutting mechanism, it would be possible to provide sheets of copy paper of any desired length. Several ways of measuring the copy paper quickly came into the art, one being to feed the original document through the copying machine for copying and to feed copy paper in accordance with the measured length of the original document and to cut the copy paper after such measured length had been fed. It also became apparent in those machines which maintained the original document stationary during copying, that predetermined selected lengths of copy paper could be fed during each copying operation. Many manufacturers of copying machines are utilizing the roll copy paper option in preference to the cut sheet copy paper option.
One problem which arises in conjunction with using roll copy paper is that of the operator loading fresh rolls of copy paper into the copying machine, particularly when the operator, such as an office secretary, may not possess great strength. The problem is that as electrophotographic copying machines have become faster in operation, it is necessary either to reload the copying machine with greater frequency or to provide longer rolls of copy paper, each with its own disadvantage. To have to load the copying machine with greater frequency is inconvenient to the individual responsible for loading the machine and may tie up the availability of the machine for copying for considerable periods of time. On the other hand, large rolls of copy paper are very difficult to handle in that they are considerably heavy and bulky. For example, the approximate weight of a roll of copy paper for the copying machine with which the present invention is concerned is 15 pounds, and is about 10 inches in diameter and 81/2 inches in width. It will be apparent that a package of this size is not easy to manipulate.